On Aug. 14, the Lincoln Park Zoo announced that after more than a year of pregnancy Adia, a 13-year-old Grevy’s zebra gave birth to a healthy and adorably cute baby foal adding another reason to visit one of the country’s oldest free zoos. Reservations to visit the zoo must be made in advance.
Though many of the beaches are still closed, you can travel the city’s waterways now that Shoreline Sightseeing, Wendella Tours & Cruises, Seadog Cruises and Chicago’s First Lady are setting sail once again. In partnership with the Chicago Architecture Center, Chicago’s First Lady Cruises hosts 90-minute architectural tours where informative docents highlight the stunning edifices strung along the riverbanks.
Chicago Electric Boat Company rents pontoon, donut and Duffy boats that are easy to navigate on your own and Urban Kayaks offers guided tours and kayak rentals.
Learn about river’s ecology by signing up for one of Shedd Aquarium’s Kayak for Conservation’s three different paddle experiences including a trip along the river’s North Branch Canal to learn how the Wild Mile, a mile-long eco-park, the first built in the river, benefits native wildlife and helps keeps the river clean. The tours are available in English and Spanish.
Back on dry land, the 18-mile Lakefront Trail parallels Lake Michigan from 71st Street on the south side to Ardmore in the north, connecting many of the city’s parks, beaches, cultural centers and neighborhoods. Open to walkers, runners, bikers and roller skaters, curate different experiences on the trail’s website where you can also download a map. Edgewater is the place for the family to enjoy cutting edge virtual reality systems at Krypton VR, enjoy sweets at Bobtail Ice Cream Company and shop for handmade candles at Waxman, In Bronzeville, once known as the “Black Metropolis,” stroll past the former home of the zany Marx Brothers, see the Monument to the Great Migration — a commemoration of African-Americans coming to Chicago in the early 1900s for better opportunities — visit the African Art collection at Gallery Guichard and try American Creole cookery with a Brazilian accent at Norman’s Bistro.
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